ANT
ANTENNA field
Enter the type of antenna used.
NOTE : This field can be used for any entry of character strings with a
length of 3 chars, if you don't want to use it as an antenna field.
{ End of HELP }
CALLSIGN
CALLSIGN field
*** REQUIRED ***
Enter the callsign of the station you are working in this field. Use
the following formats as examples for data entry:
Standard CALLSIGN entry format ....
Put the special prosign after the call, since there is no way of
telling directly where a ship is MARITIME MOBILE REGION 2 or where a car or
truck is mobile in the U.S. callarea 4.
Callsign plus maritime mobile (MM#) or portable area # (/#)
i.e.  KI6LO  or   KI6LO/4   or   KI6LO/MM2
Operating portable in another prefix area .....
Put the prefix before the real callsign. This way the program
knows that the starting part of the entry is used for lookups in the DX
INFO file if you use the F5 option (described later).
Actual operating QTH prefix \ Callsign
i.e.  DL2/KI6LO   or    KH6/KI6LO    or    ZL1/KI6LO
Once the data is entered and RETURN pressed (or field full), the
callsign is duped checked (if DUPING is ON) in the log file (CURRENT log
file only). If no entry is made and a RETURN pressed, the entry form page
is closed, the files are written to and closed and you are put back at the
LOG DATA UPDATE MENU.
If you wish to disable the DUPING process, press 'ALT U' to disable the
option. This will show a 'DUPE OFF' in the entry form next to the Callsign
entry box whenever the option is not active. Press the 'ALT U' keys again
to re-activate the option.
If a dupe is found, a window is opened in the lower right of the screen
and the data is shown from the dupe entry. You have the option to copy the
data from the dupe entry to the current QSO entry in progress, check for
another dupe against the same callsign if needed or return to QSO entry
form and enter a new callsign (in the case of a contest where you would not
to dupe a station). If a dupe is NOT found, the cursor drops to the DATE
field.
CHOICE
Process {?} data indexed by .....
Select the order in which you want to VIEW the selected data. The choices
are :
If LOG data is being used ......
1) Natural (chronologically) order by DATE and TIME. (** DEFAULT)
2) Alpha-numerically by CALLSIGN - prefixes starting with a number
are shown first.
3) Alphabetically by COUNTRY name - A to Z
4) Alphabetically by STATE (or PROVINCE / AREA) - A to Z
5) Alpha-numerically by special USER-DEFINED field.
If DX data is being used ......
1) Alphanumerical by PREFIX    (** default)
2) Alphabetically by COUNTRY name - A to Z
3) Alphabetically by CONTINENT - AF, AN, AS, EU, NA, OC, SA
4) Numerically by CQ zones - 1 to 40 (0 for no data entered)
5) Numerically by ITU zones - 1 to 90 (0 for no data entered)
CONFMD
QSL RECEIVED status field (CONFIRMED)
Enter the status of the QSL you receive from the other station. The default
here is also 'N', for not confirmed yet. If you press the F8 key while in
the log file 'browse' section of either RECORD MAINATENANCE or LOG QUERY,
this field will be reset to 'Y', which denotes the QSO has been confirmed.
This field can be updatedmanually, if desired, from the EDIT option.
DO_WHAT
QUERY MAIN MENU
This is probably the most important area of the entire program, except
for data entry. Here you will be able to retrieve exactly the data you need
without having to search through a long list and pick out the data
manually. The ability to quickly search through the log file and supply you
with a subset of matching data is built-in, so you don't have to do it
yourself manually. There are 5 or 6 menu options, depending on where you
entered the menu from. If you enter from the program MAIN MENU, you will be
on the LOGBOOK side and will have 6 prompts to choose from. If you enter
from the DX INFO DATA ACCESS MENU, you are on the DX side and will have
only 5 prompts. The MULTIPLE LABELS option is disabled in the DX side menu.
Construct a query selection condition option
At this option you will be able to setup the criteria that will 'filter
out' the unwanted records from the set to be worked with. The unwanted data
will still be in the log or DXINFO file, but you  won't see them
temporarily. The condition(s) are entered and once set,  it can be SAVED to
disk for later RECALL, or the matching records can be VIEWed, a report
PRINTed or if on the logbook side, QSL card labels can  be printed for all
matching records.
View matching records option
Here, you can view all the matching records to the selection criteria setup
in the first option. You will be asked how to view the records, either
'naturally' or indexed on your specified ordering. Once the screen is setup
to allow viewing, you may 'browse' the data to see which records match or
whatever you need to see.
Recall / Save query condition options
These two options work together. The SAVE option allows you to write a
existing set of query conditions to a named diskfile. Later you can use the
RECALL option to load the named diskfile into memory, re-establishing the
exact conditions for a repeat query. You may name the diskfiles any thing
you like, up to eight (8) characters. The extensions are added
automatically and SHOULD NOT be changed. These are '.LBQ' for logbook
queries and '.DXQ' for DX INFO queries. Please note that you CAN NOT save
the condition of 'ALL' to disk. This is a special viewing stituation.
Output listing of matching records option
This option allows you to make a hardcopy of the current records that match
the query conditions. The data from these records can be sent to the
printer (LPT1:) or to a diskfile for editing off-line for some special
purpose. You may NOT print a report when the selected records are 'ALL'.
Use the PRINT LOG REPORT option on the main menu for this type of report
generation or select the PRINT DX REPORT option on the DX ACCESS menu.
Print multiple QSLCARD labels option
Here you are given the ability to print QSL card labels for all the
matching records in the selection set. Once the process is started, each
records that has a label printed is updated to show the QSL SENT field in
the log file as 'Y'. You still have to stick'em to cards and mail. Please
note, you may NOT print multiple QSL labels when 'ALL' is the selection
condition. 'ALL' records is a 'Viewing' option condition only.
{End of HELP}
DSKPTH
BACKUP LOG TO / RESTORE LOG FROM {?} DISK
Backup log file
Select the destination of the backup file. You will choose either a
floppy disk (A: or B:) or a harddisk subdirectory. Floppy disks may be 5¬"
or 3«" size and be 360K, 720K, 1.2M or 1.44M format.
Warning: A large log file can cover several backup floppies, so have
several FORMATTED diskettes ready for the backup to use. Approximately 1300
QSO's will fit on a 360K diskette for backups.
Restore log file
Enter the source of the backup file to restore. Select either a floppy
(A: or B:) or a harddisk drive/path specification.
{ END OF HELP }
DTYPE
Desired Date Format Selection
In the program, you have the option of using one of five different DATE
format styles. First, let me point out that the date information sent to
the log is always the same format (YYYYMMDD). You are only selecting how
you will see the date on the screen and on reports. The selections are as
follows:
1) MM/DD/YY - American - DEFAULT style - This is the standard most
of us are use to.
2) DD/MM/YY - International 1 - aka BRITISH style.
3) DD-MM-YY - International 2 - aka ITALIAN style.
4) DD.MM.YY - International 3 - aka GERMAN style.
5) YY.MM.DD - International 4 - aka ANSI style - Most European
hams prefer this style. If you are NOT using the
DATE STRING for QSL's and you are a heavy DX'er,
you might want to use this one.
DX_2_LOG
DX Information window
This window shows the matching entry (or a close as available) to the
PREFIX entered when F5 hotkey was pressed -or- to prefix of the CALLSIGN in
the entry form. The operation is the same for both instances, except the
ability to transfer data is not present when F5 pressed outside of the
COUNTRY field on the entry form. You may move from the present record by
using the specified keys shown in the window.
UP or DOWN arrows - move up or down 1 record.
PAGE UP or DOWN - move up or down 10 records.
HOME - move to first record in file.
END - move to last record in file.
ESCape - close window and return to form or prompt where
hotkey window was called from.
RETURN - (only in entry form) - selects entry and transfers
the data for COUNTRY NAME and CQ/ITU zones to log file.
When outside of the COUNTRY field on entry form, the window displays the
information about the entered prefix and the Great Circle bearing (GCBRG)
and the Longpath (LGPTH) compass heading to assist in proper beam / array
positioning.
NOTE: For US callsigns (AA-AL, KA-KZ, NA-NZ and WA-WZ), refer to the group of
K0 through K9 prefixes for the specific United States callarea information.
Press the 'U' key (when at the DX INFORMATION display) to quickly jump
to the start of the K0 - K9 entries for selection of correct prefix. Use the
K0 entry in place of a N0, W0, A0, N?0, W?0, A?0 or K?0 US prefix. Treat the
other US prefixes in the same manner.
DX_LAT
LATITUDE of country / QTH
Enter the LATITUDE of the country in question. All Southern LATITUDES
are signed as NEGATIVE (-) numbers. Failure to input the correct sign on
the value will give erroroneous beam heading data.
DX_LIST
Duplicate Prefix
This window shows a previously entered PREFIX which matches the selected
NEW prefix. You may scroll to any other prefix in the file by using the
keystrokes shown at the bottom of the window. The selected prefix will
change according to which key you press:
UP or DOWN arrows - moves up or down 1 entry.
PAGE UP or DOWN - moves up or down 10 entries.
HOME - moves to first entry in file.
END - moves to last entry in file.
ESCape - closes window and returns you to prompt
for another NEW prefix to enter.
DX_LON
LONGITUDE of country / QTH
Enter the LONGITUDE of the country in question. All LONGITUDES that are
WEST of the 0ø longitude (Prime Meridian - Greenwich, England) are POSITIVE
and those to the EAST (towards the MIDDLE EAST and ASIA) are NEGATIVE.
Improper entry of values (positive when actually negative) will give
erroneous beam heading data.
DX_OPTION
PREFIX/COUNTRY DATA ACCESS MENU
This menu allows you to select 4 options to perform the following
functions. These options are listed below:
1) UPDATE the data in the DX INFO file - this includes the ability
to ADD, EDIT, VIEW, INDEX and/or SORT the data.
2) QUERY DX INFO data - this includes the ability to locate specific
records matching user-selected criterion. You may view the matching
records or print a report to the printer or to disk.
3) PRINT REPORTS - this option allows you to print a FULL report in the
desired order using the current DX INFO file data.
4) INITIALIZE BEAM HEADINGS - this option will calculate the Great
Circle heading, Long Path heading and distances from your QTH to
over 1100 points on the globe.
DX_SIG
Report you SENT
Enter the report you 'sent' to the other station. The value you enter
will be carried over to the next entry as default input.
DX_UPDATE
PREFIX INFORMATION UPDATE MENU
Here you are given 3 active options (5 options total with 2 returning
options) to allow the data in the DX INFORMATION database file to be
updated. This may include adding a new country as required or just to edit
an existing country's information due to some external requirement.
ADDING a new country
This option will allow a new entry to be placed in the DX INFO file.
First you will enter the desired prefix and the program will check to see
if it is already existing. If not, you go straight to the entry window and
type in the new data for the prefix just entered. If it exists already, you
have the option to skip adding or to add another prefix entry with the same
prefix.
You might ask why would you want to put another prefix of the same type
in the database file. The answer can be that you want to have key cities
shown in the file for a given prefix area. This requires multiple entries
of the same prefix. China and Russia, for instance, have vast prefix areas
which use the same prefix but are very wide and would have large changes in
beam heading from one end to another.
EDITING a current entry
This option will ask how you wish to view the contents of the DX INFO
file for record selection to edit. There are 5 choices of PREFIX (default),
Country Name, Continent, CQ zone and ITU zone. Unless you DO NOT know the
prefix that you want to edit (i.e. you might know the country name
instead), I suggest you select the PREFIX option here. Next a VIEW / BROWSE
screen similar to the one shown in the DX QUERY mode is shown. Follow the
prompts and do whatever option you desire to perform. F6 selected the edit
mode.
INDEX AND SORT DX INFO
Here you can reindex and/or re-sort the DX INFO file without performing
a reinitialization as required in earlier versions. Select the desired
method from the prompt.
FCHOICE
Use {?} format to print reports ......
You are to select the type of format to use for printing the desired
report. There are two options to choose from. Theses are:
DEFAULT (Hard-coded) FORMAT - This format is included INSIDE the program
and CANNOT be changed. This format will allow you to print a standardized
report using a 132 column format for both log data and DX data.
EXTERNAL FORMAT - This option will allow you to choose from any existing
format files which are of the proper extension for the type of report being
printed. All external format files are created by the user and are
contained in seperate files located on the disk. You may use the REPORT.EXE
utility to generate an external format file of your liking or if you
prefer, and have access to it, you may use dBASE III Plus or a dB3 clone
like WAMPUM to generate a report format file. Refer to the manual (appendix
C) for more details on this option.
WARNING     WARNING     WARNING
If you create a format file without using the REPORT.EXE utility included
with the program package, you must rename the extension to the appropriate
letters for the program to find and use it when selecting the EXTERNAL
option. See the manual for details on this requirement.
FIRSTVAL
Field Name
Enter a field name to search on. If you do not know the field name or
can't remember which one you wanted, press the F2 function key and a list
of possible fields will be presented to you. Use the UP/DOWN arrows to
scroll through the list and select with a RETURN. If the list is opened,
pressing ESCape will return you to the original entry prompt without a
selection, at which time you may type in the name or press ESCape to
abandon the option. If you would just like to 'browse' through the entire
data file enter the word 'ALL'. This will close the option and you may then
select the VIEW option from the menu and ALL the records will be shown in a
full screen browse window.
FLOPPY
DRIVE A: or B:
Select the destination/source drive for the backup/restore file(s).
FN
Enter the file name to send to ......
LOG REPORTS
If you are printing a LOG file report, the default name format is based
on the current date as shown below, regardless of the indexing order of the
data being processed. The format would be :
LOG_mmdd.LBK   where 'mm' is the current month
and 'dd' is the current day.
A report for January 21 would be represented by the name LOG_0121.LBK.
The default name can be overridden by typing in a new name. If a filename
already exists, you are asked if is ok to overwrite it. If not, then you
must re-enter the filename or press ESCAPE to abort.
DX REPORTS
These default filenames are determined from the indexing value of the
data being processed, regardless of the date of the report. There are 5
different ways to have the data printed, hence 5 different filename
defaults. These are shown in the table below. These defaults may be
overridden by simply typing in the new name. If a filename already exists,
you are allowed to overwrite the old file or enter a new filename.
Index order based on {?}          Default filename
ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ
Prefix value ..................... PREFIX.LST
Country name ..................... COUNTRY.LST
Continent abbreviation ........... CONTINT.LST
CQ zone value .................... CQ_ZONE.LST
ITU zone value ................... ITU_ZONE.LST
FRM_PATH
PATH to format files .....
Enter the location on the disk where the format files reside. If the
files are in the current directory used by the LOGBOOK program, press
RETURN and a list of applicable format files will be shown.
An example might be that you keep your format files in a subdirectory
of the log data directory. If this were the case, you would enter the name
of the subdirectory the files were like this:
PATH: C:\LOG\PRT_FORM
This would search the subdirectory C:\LOG\PRT_FORM for any format files
of the correct type and would list then if found.
FUNCNUM
AMATEUR RADIO STATION LOGBOOK MAIN MENU
(Note: This is the top level menu)
This top-level menu consists of 6 selection options. Each of these
option in turn will take you to a lower level menu which will allow you to
perform various functions to the data that will be entered into the
individual log files. To find out what a specific option at this menu does,
scroll down throught the remaining text and read the section pertaining to
the desired option.
QSO data update menu
This menu will allow you to select an option to ADD an individual QSO
entry to the currently selected log file,  or to enter a utility to process
the entire log file, EDITING any record, DELETING any number of selected
records, CONFIRMing a QSO entry, PRINTing a single QSL label for any entry
or just scrolling throught the data and viewing individual QSO entries as
needed.
Retrieve data from LOG (Query menu)
This menu will allow you to select a subset of the QSO entries present
in the current log file to work with. This subset of information can be
EDITed, etc. just like in the last section. The specific selection criteria
can be saved to disk and recalled at a later time for easy retrival of
similiar data without retyping long criteria entries. The data can be sent
to the screen and 'browsed' or sent to the printer or to disk as an ASCII
text file. You can also PRINT QSL labels for all the matching records in a
batch style operation. This option also will allow the same sort of
operations on the DX INFO database when selected from the PREFIX UTILITIES
MENU (see below.)
Log print report menu
This menu will allow you to PRINT a complete report using all the data
in the current log file or you may select to print only a specific date
range, perhaps to keep a monthly update of the master log file report. As
before, the report can be sent to the printer or to an ASCII disk file for
later processing.
Prefix utilities menu
This menu is the gateway to processing the data contained in the DX
INFORMATION data file. It will allow you to ADD any new prefixes as they
become authorized, EDIT any current prefix entries and perform a 'browsing'
option to work with all the entries in the DX INFO database.
File maintenance menu
This menu will allow you to do the customary database support options
of BACKING UP the data on an off-line disk or set of disks and RESTORING
the off-line data incase of a loss of data due to disk crashes, file
deletion, etc. You will also be able to select another log file with this
menu as well as change any or all of the USER specific parameters used by
the program.
HOW2
Index {?} data as ...
CHARACTER option - If the data to be used in the special USER-DEFINED field
will be a mix of characters and numbers, then select this option. Numbers
WILL NOT be indexed by numerical value, but by ASCII character value. For
example, if you had data entries of 10, 200, 2, 100 they would NOT display
as 2, 10, 100, 200 but would be 10,100, 2, 200 since each digit is compared
as an ASCII character and not a numerical digit.
NUMBER option - If the data to be entered in the USER-DEFINED field will be
numbers only, such as OBLAST or 10-10 numbers, then select this option. The
order of the index would be numerically correct (2, 10, 100, 200 - from
above example). Any data that starts with a character when this option is
selected will appear in the ordering as if the numerical value was equal to
zero (0) but the actual data will be displayed. If a character is imbedded
in the data string (i.e. 123Q45X), all data to the right of the first
character will be ignored when determining where in the order the record
would actually be placed. In this example the numerical value of the string
is one hundered twenty-three (123). For simplicity, only select this option
if you are sure the data going into this field will be numbers ONLY.
HPATH
Backup Path for Harddisk option
Enter the drive and path for the backup file to created at. If the
default drive/path (or LOGDB path - see manual) is acceptable, press RETURN
without entering any data. This will assign the default (or LOGDB) as the
path to use. Press ESCAPE to abort backup.
MAINTNUM
LOG MAINTENANCE MENU
This menu will allow you to select options to BACKUP and RESTORE the
current log file, ASSIGN another log file to use or UPDATE USER parameters
for such things as a new printer in use, Time/QTH changes, prefered
defaults, etc.
BACKUP SELECTED LOG
Here you are allowed to backup the currently selected log file to
either floppy disk(s) or to a hard disk directory. Follow the prompts and
press F1 at any prompt for instructions on how-to.
RESTORE SELECTED LOG
This option will allow previous BACKUP disk(s) to be used as a source
to rebuild (RESTORE) a log file. If floppy disks are used, the program will
rebuild the entire log file from a set of disks automatically. All you need
to do once the questions are answered at the prompts is to insert the next
disk. Again follow the prompts and press F1 whenever you need HELP.
ASSIGN NEW LOG TO USE
Here you are allowed to select a log file to assign as the database to
use whenever accessing or manipulating log data. If the log file is not
found, you are allowed to create it if desired. Follow the prompts and
press F1 for HELP.
UPDATE USER PARAMETERS
This option will display a submenu which allows you to change
parameters which affect the operation of the program. Press F1 when this
menu is displayed for more information.
MNAME
COUNTRY NAME field
Enter the name of the country the prefix is assigned to. Refer to a
quality atlas or the AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR'S MANUAL (ARRL book) for
information on country assignments and/or name spellings.
MPREFIX
PREFIX field
Enter the NEW prefix for the country in question. Be sure of the
spelling since this is a key field and if the spelling is incorrect, the
program won't find the entry when you happen to type it correctly at the
search prompt.
MY_SIG
Report you RECV field
Enter the report you 'received' from the other station. This is not
required but is included to maintain compatibility with most logbooks.
Any value entered in the current record will be carried forward as default
input for the next entry.
M_CONTNT
CONTINENT where country is found
Enter the CONTINENT of the country in question. There are seven (7)
continents (or continental regions) used by the ham radio community. These
are as listed with the actual name and abbreviation used in the program:
NAME            ABBR
ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ
AFRICA ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ-> AF
ANTARTICA ÄÄÄÄÄÄ-> AN
ASIA ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ> AS
EUROPE ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ> EU
NORTH AMERICA ÄÄÄ> NA
OCEANIA (AUS/NZ)Ä> OC
SOUTH AMERICA ÄÄÄ> SA
Refer to a ham radio journal or reference manual for the continent that
the country in question belongs to. Some are not so obivious.
M_CQZN
CQ zone of country
Enter the CQ zone for the country in question. This is a number between
1 and 40. Refer to the AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS manual (ARRL book), the CALL
BOOK or a ham world map with zones for the correct zone for this country.
If the zone is not known, enter a zero (0) till able to correct it.
M_ITUZN
ITU zone of country
Enter the ITU zone of the country in question. This is a number between
1 and 90. Refer to list of possible sources (see CQ ZONE help screen) for
reference to actual ITU number of this country.
NEW_LOG
Assign New LOG file to use
Enter the name of the desired log file to assign as the new log. You may
press RETURN and a list of all available LOG files in the present location
will be displayed. You may then choose from the list.
NUSRLBL
USER DEFINED field
In version 5.2, you are given a 15 character long data field to call as you
see fit. If you are into a special type of operating or chase 'things', you
can use this field to log them or it. The data is treated as miscellaneous
data in the log but you get to choose the label it will be seen under and
worked with in the program. This might be OBLASTs' 10-10#'s, COUNTIES,
who-knows-what. The data in this field can be alphabet in type or it can be
alphabetic representations of Numbers. Since the field is of type
CHARACTER, it can't be numbers directly, so we indexed on the value of the
alphabetic representation of the number to get a numerical sequence that is
correct.
OPERATE
Selecting the HOW-TO-COMPARE symbol
You are given up to seven (7) choices to select from. These include the
following, which can be selected from a list by pressing F2.
= .... Equal to
Select this symbol if the data you are about to enter in the next field
(the Target field) must equal the data in the log file field specified to
cause a match to occur.
<> .... Not equal to
Select this if the log data and the target data must NOT equal in order
to cause a matching condition to occur.
< .... Less than
Select this if the log data must less than the target data to match.
Alphabetically 'A' is less than 'B' which is less than 'C' and so on.
> .... Greater than
Select this if the log data must be greater than the target data.
<= .... Less than and equal to
Select this if the log data can match anywhere from the target data and
below. Use this as a upper limit on ranges such as DATEs. For example, the
entry '<= 12/31/89' will match all dates in 1989 and below. If you use the
'<' less than sign only, the range will not include the target data, so
would only find 12/30/89 and earlier.
>= .... Greater than and equal to
Select this to perfrom opposite of above. Use as the lower limit on
range to include the lower limit value or date.
$ .... Contains target data (only used in text compares)
Select this to search comments or other text strings for a keyword or
words, such as 'QSL VIA' or 'QSL MANAGER' in comments. Please note : This
option will run slowly if searching a large log for keyword(s) since every
COMMENTS field must be searched one word at a time.
OPER_CNY
COUNTRY field
Enter the country of the other operator's QTH. If you do not know it or
can't spell it (don't be ashamed - I can't spell them either), you may
press the F5 key when in this field. It works slightly different than the
normal F5 key for the rest of the program. Here the prefix of the callsign
from Callsign field is stripped out of the call (usually the first 5
characters or portion preceeding any "/", so use correct format) and
analyzed for a match in the DX INFO database. If a match is found (or if
not found, the closest guess is used), a window is opened and the data is
displayed. You may scroll in the window using the indicated keys or press
RETURN to select the entry or press ESCAPE to abort option. If RETURN
is pressed, the country name and the CQ / ITU zone data is copied to the
appropriate fields in the current entry form and used as inputs for these
fields. If ESCAPE is pressed, you are returned to the entry form and no
data is transferred to the entry form.
NOTE : You cannot do a DX find using F5 while in this field except for the
prefix of the current callsign in the callsign field. If you need to find
another prefix just heard or such, press the UP arrow and use the F5 option
as normal or press RETURN and go to the  CQ zone field and use F5 as
normal. You may return to the Country field once you have completed the
search for other DX data and exited back to the entry form.
OPER_CTY
CITY field
Enter the other operator's QTH city. Good for QSLing and such.
OPER_NM
NAME field
Enter the name of the other operator. This is nice to have data when
ragchewing and you dupe an old contact. You can call them by their name and
they'll be impressed and ask how you knew their name so fast. Tell them
about LOGBOOK (a paid announcement, hihi).
OPER_ST
STATE field
Enter the state, province or area of the other operator's QTH. You may
use the following chart as a guide for 2-letter US state abbreviations.
AL  Alabama               KY  Kentucky              ND  North Dakota
AK  Alaska                LA  Louisiana             OH  Ohio
AZ  Arizona               ME  Maine                 OK  Oklahoma
AR  Arkansas              MD  Maryland              OR  Oregon
CA  California            MA  Massachusetts         PA  Pennsylvania
CO  Colorado              MI  Michigan              RI  Rhode Island
CT  Connecticut           MN  Minnesota             SC  South Carolina
DE  Delaware              MS  Mississippi           SD  South Dakota
DC  Washington, D.C.      MO  Missouri              TN  Tennessee
FL  Florida               MT  Montana               TX  Texas
GA  Georgia               NE  Nebraska              UT  Utah
HI  Hawaii                NV  Nevada                VT  Vermont
ID  Idaho                 NH  New Hampshire         VA  Virginia
IL  Illinois              NJ  New Jersey            WA  Washington (State)
IN  Indiana               NM  New Mexico            WV  West Virginia
IA  Iowa                  NY  New York              WI  Wisconsin
KS  Kansas                NC  North Carolina        WY  Wyoming
OP_CQ_ZN
CQ ZONE field
Enter the CQ zone for the QTH of the other operator. If unknown leave
blank. If the F5 option is used in the previous field, this data will
automatically be filled in if data is copied from the DX INFO file.
OP_ITU_ZN
ITU ZONE field
Enter the ITU zone for the QTH of the other operator. If unknown, leave
blank. If the F5 option is used in the Country field, this data will be
automatically entered if data is copied from the DX INFO file.
PCHOICE
SEND THE OUTPUT TO A DISKFILE OR THE PRINTER
Select the destination of the current process. This is either to the
default printer or to a disk file of your name choice. Press ESCAPE to
abort the option.
PRT_KIND
LOG PRINT OPTIONS MENU
This menu will allow you to select 2 methods of printing the basic log
report. You may select to print a FULL report which will print ALL the
records from the currently selected log file to a report. Or if you want to
just update a report with a recent timespan printout, select the PARTIAL
log list option.
Complete log list option
This option will print the COMPLETE log listing, in the order and in
the format you choose from the prompts. Follow the prompts and choose the
indexing and type of report format you desire.
Partial log list option
This option is just like the first except you are asked to enter the
starting and ending dates of the report. Everythig else is the same.
QSLED_TO
QSL SENT status field
Enter the status of the QSL you originate. The default for this field is
'N', which means no QSL sent yet. If a label is generated by the program,
either in the SINGLE or MULTI-LABEL print options (see QUERY / VIEWing
section), this field will be reset to 'Y', which denotes a QSL has been
generated by the program. You may edit any record and update this field
manually, if desired.
QSO_DATE
QSO DATE field
Enter the date that the QSO was made. In most cases, it will be the
current date. The input format, something like (M/D/Y), is shown to the
left of the input field box. It shows the format you selected when you
initialized or last updated the DATE format for the program. There are some
exceptions, though. If the QSO entry form is opened and allowed to sit
idle, and if during this time the UTC time passes midnight, the date will
be off by one day. If you allow this condition to occur, ignore it and
simply press the F4 when you get to the 'Time' field. This will reset the
entry form time and date to the current UTC time and date.
If you are entering old logs and do not want to have re-enter the date
for each of the entries that may have occured on the same day, press the
Alt-T keys. This will temporarily disable the automatic date and time
stamping for the entries. If ADDing data and timestamping is set OFF, the
first entry form will have blank DATE and TIME fields. Once a value is
entered, it is retained and will be used as input for the next entry.
Switching AUTOTIME stamping off will be noted by a red 'OFF' next to
the Date entry field. To deselect the condition, press Alt-T again. The red
'OFF' will be removed signifying that the automatic date/time stamping is
now ON, but the DATE and TIME will remain as is for the current entry. The
UTC date and time will be inserted automatically on the next entry or press
F4 when in the TIME field to update the current entry form.
QSO_FREQ
QSO FREQUENCY field
Enter the frequency of the current QSO. Enter as :
MMM.KKK     where MMM is the Megahertz
and KKK is the kilohertz and
these are seperate by a "."
Valid frequencies are from 1.500 Mhz to 999.999 Mhz, in 1 Khz steps. If
you are used to keeping logs in 'BAND' only, I suggest you enter all
FREQUENCIES as the lowset frequency of the given band. For example, enter
80 meters as 3.500, 40 meters as 7.000, 20 meters as 14.000 and so on. This
will make the data more uniform when working with the QUERY functions.
QSO_MODE
QSO MODE field
The default mode is entered here when the form is opened. If it is
changed, the new value is retained for all subsequent entries, until the
ADD QSO's option is closed or till the MODE is changed again. You may press
the F6 key for a list of common amateur operating modes. Scroll through the
list with the UP/DN arrows and select an option with the RETURN key or
press ESCAPE to return no value and enter your own preference.
PLEASE NOTE: You may use any abbreviation you desire for the mode, but for
consistant QUERY results, it is STRONGLY ADVISED that you use the F6 option
to choose a mode. Searches are faster and the abbreviation will be the same
each time. When you go to look for all the DXCC entries you have worked or
need, you won't be misled by small abbreviation typographical errors. ARS
LOGBOOK cannot know that you mean teletype by both 'TTY' and 'RTTY' (unless
you choose to ask for MODE containing 'TTY').
QSO_TIME
QSO TIME field
This field works very similiar to the DATE field. It is set equal to
the current UTC TIME upon entry into the form. If the form has been sitting
idle for a while, pressing the F4 key will 'refresh' the TIME and DATE to
the current values. If the automatic DATE/TIME stamping is 'OFF', the time
entered here when the form is opened will be 0000 on the first QSO entered
and then the last valid entered time will be used for input each subsequent
QSO entry form.
RESTVAR
RESTORE A {?} QUERY CONDITION FILE ...
Enter the filename only of the desired condition file to load into
memory for use in querying the log or DX INFO file. DO NOT include an
extension since the program will match the extension to the type of file
you are currently working with. This will be either a '.LBQ' for any log
file or '.DXQ' for the DX INFO file. A log query condition file WILL NOT
work on the DX file nor will a DX query condition file work on a log file.
If you are not sure of the name of the desired file, pressing F2 will
check to see if there are any query condition files in the path with the
correct extension type. If so, a list is shown and you may make a
selection. If none, you are told so. You may press ESCAPE at the prompt to
abort or at while in the list to return to the prompt to type in a
selection.
**************************************************************************
DO NOT RENAME THE EXTENSION OF A QUERY CONDITION FILE
DOING SO WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS
REST_NAME
Enter name of log to restore ....
Enter the name of the log file you wish to rebuild. If it is not found,
you will be prompted to create it. If you answer 'YES' it will be created
and the source disk(s) will be copied to it. If you answer 'NO', the option
is aborted.
REST_PATH
Enter the path of file to restore ....
Enter the path to find the file specified in the previous prompt. If
the file should be found in the default path, press RETURN without anything
else entering in the prompt. Otherwise enter the path and press RETURN or
press ESCAPE to abort option.
SAVEAS
SAVE QUERY SELECTION CRITERIA TO {?} ...
Here you will enter a filename, upto 8 characters, without any
extension. The program will assign the correct extension determined from
which file you are currently working with, '.LBQ' for log files and '.DXQ'
for the DX INFO file. Press ESCAPE to abort the option and return to the
menu.
SECVAR
Entering the target data to search with
Enter a value to use as the target to compare to. This value may be a date,
character string or a number (may be integer or decimal). The particular
data type for the field selected is shown in the prompt for this value.
Press RETURN after the value to enter it.
ST_DATE
DEFINE PARTIAL LOG PRINT RANGE ......
Here you are to specify the starting and ending dates for the partial
log printout. The ending date will default to the current date and can be
changed if needed. Pressing ESCAPE will abort the print option.
UPDTNUM
LOG DATA UPDATE MENU
This is a second level menu which allows you to perform the following
options on the currently selected log file data. These include ADD a new
entry, EDIT, DELETE, CONFIRM, VIEW and print LABELS for entries in a
browse/view window, SORT data and rebuild index files or just REBUILD index
files alone. A brief description of each option follows:
Add new log entry option
This selection will open a fill-in-the-blank style entry page for data
input. The DATE and TIME are taken from the system clock upon entry into
the form and are placed into the record automatically. The default MODE is
determined from the USER parameter you set when initializing the program.
You must enter a CALLSIGN or leave the CALLSIGN blank and press RETURN to
quit entering QSO's.
Record maintenance option
This selection will allow you to EDIT, DELETE, CONFIRM, PRINT a label
and VIEW a record from the log file while 'BROWSING' the entire file. First
you are asked how the data from the current log file should be displayed on
the screen during the 'browse' function, either 'naturally' (no indexing)
or by a specified index file order. You select the appropriate method
depending on how you wish to view the data. Once selected, the screen is
setup for 'browsing' and the data is displayed, indexed per your
instructions. Once the 'browsing' begins, use the function keys labeled at
the screen bottom to perform data manipulation and use the movement keys
shown to move about the log file.
Sort log data option
Selection on this option will SORT the current log file and rebuild all
associated index files for it. It can take a little while to do this,
especially if the log file is large and the machine it is running on is
slow. There are prompts showing the progress, so be patient.
Index log file option
This option will allow you to rebuild the index files for the currently
assigned log file set. When selected, the program will automatically index
the log data on the CALLSIGN's, COUNTRY name's, STATE's and USER-DEFINED
special field.
USERCALL
Callsign of user - your call
Enter your callsign to personalize this copy of the program. This callsign
will appear at the top of each page of the DEFAULT format report and at the
end of each QSL label generated by the program. You may change this when
required without any adverse effects on any log files in use.
USERLAT
LATITUDE of your operating QTH
Enter your station's LATITUDE in the format '##.###'. You need not be
critical of the exact location. You may get a rough estimate from any city
map of your location. Below are some fractional values to help you in
converting from degrees-minutes-seconds to decimal representation. Please
note that all values in the SOUTHERN hemisphere (below the equator) are to
be signed NEGATIVE and the maximum range for any value is +90.0 (north
pole) to -90.0 (south pole). Don't enter the (+) for positive values.
Number of minutes (##') = fraction degrees (0.##ø)
-----------------------------------------------------
05' = 0.08ø ³ 20' = 0.33ø ³ 35' = 0.58ø ³ 50' = 0.83ø
10' = 0.10ø ³ 25' = 0.42ø ³ 40' = 0.67ø ³ 55' = 0.92ø
15' = 0.25ø ³ 30' = 0.50ø ³ 45' = 0.75ø ³ 60' = 1.00ø
Some sample latitudes would convert as :
N 35ø 15' -->  35ø   +   0.25ø (from chart 15')   =  35.25ø
S 43ø 28' --> -43ø   +  appx. 0.47ø from chart    = -43.47ø
Hint: All USA hams use (+) latitudes .....
USERLON
LONGITUDE of your operating QTH
Enter your station's LONGITUDE in the format '###.###'. You need not be
note that all positions located EAST of the 0ø longitude (UTC line towards
Central Europe and Asia) are to be signed NEGATIVE and the maximum range
for any value is +180.0 (west longitudes) to -180.0 (east longitudes).
Don't enter the (+) for positive values.
W 117ø 15' --> 117ø   +   0.25ø (from chart 15')   =   117.25ø
E  94ø 28' --> -94ø   +  appx. 0.47ø from chart    =  -094.47ø
Hint: All USA hams use (+) longitudes.......
USERPRT
PRINTER TYPE SELECTION - There are seven (7) printer types to choose from:
1 - EPSON using COMPRESSED print - If you are using a EPSON or compatible
and will expect to have any reports with more than 80 columns on 8.5" wide
paper, select this option. You can select 80 or 132 column mode when
printing in the program.
2 - EPSON using STANDARD 10 CPI print - If you are NEVER going to have any
reports wider than 80 columns, you can use this option. It was originally
intended for wide paper with no compressed print.
3 - IBM Proprinter series - If your printer is of this type, select this
option. You can select between 80 and 132 column when you print the reports
in the program.
4 - GENERIC printer selection - If your printer is not listed and will not
emulate a listed printer, select this option. Most generic printers use the
control-'O' command to perform a compressed print mode initialize. Check
your printer manual for the compressed print command. This option uses
ASCII 15 (aka control-O).
5 - C.Itoh 8510 or compatible - This option was requested by some users so
it was included. I don't have much information on it and I have not tested
it since I do not have this printer. It is reported to work correctly.
It uses an ESCAPE Q command (ASCII 27 81) to set compressed mode and an
ESCAPE N (ASCII 27 78) to reset the printer to normal mode
6 - OKIDATA Microline 92 or compatible - This is another user requested
printer driver. I have not tested it but is too was reported to work. This
one uses a Control-] to set compressed mode and a Control-X to reset the
printer.
7 - NO PRINTER INITIALIZATION - If you are going to be printing only to DOS
textfiles or using a printer that has its own setup program external to the
ARS LOGBOOK, select this option. Here there will be no printer controlling
commands inserted or sent as you print.
USERUTC
UTC (Zulu) Time difference
No matter where you are located on earth, the UTC time is the same for all
places. The local time changes according to the zone or area you are in and
so the difference between the local time and the UTC time also changes. To
account for the difference between your local time and UTC time, the
program needs to know how many hours different you actually are.
For timezones and areas WEST of the UTC reference point, the time
difference is signed negative (-). Going EAST of UTC the difference is
positive and has NO sign. And since all areas of the world are NOT evenly
spaced and do not have even hour time difference, enter any partial hours
as 1/10th's of the hour. If you were in an area, like the USA, where the
local time was BEHIND UTC time, enter as '-##.#'. If your local time is
ahead of UTC, enter it as '##.#'.
Examples:
If UTC time diff = 8 hours and you are located in the USA,
enter as -8.0
If UTC time diff = 8 hours and 30 minutes and you are located
somewhere in ASIA, enter as 8.5 (since .5 hours = 30 min.).
REMEMBER IF THE SIGN OF THE DIFFERENCE IS WRONG YOUR REFERENCED LOCATION
WILL BE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE GLOBE !!!
Hint : All USA hams use (-) hours....
USER_OP
UPDATE USER DATA MENU
There are 6 options to choose from on this menu. These options allow
you to reset or select different parameters to cause the program to behave
in a different manner for each value. The options are listed below:
Personal Data Update
Here your can change your personal data, which includes your callsign,
the latitude and longitude of your QTH or operating position and the number
of hours difference between your local time and ZULU time.
NOTE : If you change the longitude or latitude value while in this section,
you must reinitialize the beam headings. The option for this is located on
the DX ACCESS MAIN MENU.
Install new printer
You can choose another printer to assign as the default printer to use.
Select new date format
Here you can choose another date format for use while in the program.
QSL label defaults
You can select between the two styles of labels and which type of date
format to have printed on them when printing QSLcard labels.
Assign new default mode
Here you are allow to reset the deault mode shown whenever the ADD QSO
option is selected on the LOG UPDATE menu.
Reset USER fieldname
This option will allow you to reset the name of the special
USER-DEFINED data field. This field is 15 characters wide and is called
'MISCFIELD' in the database, but you can set the label that is associated
with this field and shown on the entry form to whatever you like (limited
to 6 characters). The default label is 'MISC'.
U_FIELD
USER DEFINED (SPECIAL) data field
(default name = MISC)
This field is can be named by each individual user. It could be COUNTY
for one user or 10-10# for someone else. In the database file, it is called
'MISCFIELD' and contains data in character format, 15 chars wide. The
default name for this field in the program is 'MISC' and will be presented
as such unless the user updates it when initializing program or at the FILE
MAINTENANCE MENU - Change USER parameters option. For a more in-depth
writeup on this option see the manual.
WCHOICE
Printer format width to use .....
You have selected to use an EXTERNAL format file. These files may be
anywhere from a few columns wide upto 132 columns wide. If the report is 80
columns or less in width, you may select the '80 COLUMN' option and the
report will print in PICA pitch (10 cpi) instead of the COMPRESSED pitch
(17 cpi). This will make the letters a bit more readable.
If the report is more than 80 columns wide, you MUST select the 132
column option. Failure to do so will cause the text to wrap and the report
will most likely be unreadable.
WHATNOW
Linking the condition statements
Here you are to select the linking logic for the current statement and
the next statement. You have two (2) choices to select from or select DONE
if you are finished building this set of selection criteria.
AND logical option - Select this option if BOTH the current statement and
the next statement MUST be TRUE for a match to occur.
OR logical option - Select this option if EITHER the current statement or
the next statement being TRUE will cause a match to occur.
DONE option - Select this option if there are NO more statements to be
added to the selection criteria being constructed. You will be returned to
the menu to VIEW matching records, PRINT labels or reports and/or SAVE the
current selection criteria to disk for later use.
Y
Default Mode selection
Scroll through the list at right and select (with RETURN) your preferred
operating mode. This mode will be assigned whenever you open the entry form
for adding a NEW QSO to the log. You may override it simply by typing in a
new mode for that entry. Most of the common modes for US hams have been
included in the list. Also using this option will make sure you spell it
the same way each time and makes you queries work better, since the program
can't not know you meant teletype when you say RTTY one time and TTY the
next.
USERQSIZE
QSL LABEL SIZE
Select the size of QSL label you want to print. The screen is self
explanatory.
USERQDATE
QSL LABEL DATA FORMAT
Select the style of the date to be printed on the label. This may be a
date (MM/DD/YY, etc.) or a verbal string (01 FEB 90, etc.). Refer to the
text on screen for info.